Lidar chip and lidar

Abstract

A LiDAR chip includes an optical splitter, a beam splitter, a receiver and a transmitter, the transmitter includes an optical switch array and a grating coupler array, the grating coupler array is connected to the optical splitter and the receiver through the optical switch array and the beam splitter respectively. The optical splitter is connected to the receiver, and the beam splitter is connected to the optical splitter. The LiDAR chip through the optical splitter and outputs measurement light and local oscillation light to the transmitter and receiver respectively; by means of a corresponding optical switch, the optical switch array introduces into a corresponding grating coupler in the grating coupler array the measurement light which is then emitted by means of said grating coupler; a reflection echo received by a grating coupler is subjected to polarization splitting by means of the beam splitter and is then transmitted to the receiver.

1 . A LiDAR chip, comprising an optical splitter, a beam splitter, a receiver, and a transmitter, wherein the transmitter is a focal plane switch array transmitter, the transmitter comprises an optical switch array and a grating coupler array, the optical switch array comprises a plurality of optical switches, the grating coupler array comprises a plurality of grating couplers, the grating coupler array is connected to the optical splitter by means of the optical switch array, and the optical splitter is connected to the receiver, the grating coupler array is connected to the receiver by means of the beam splitter, and the beam splitter is connected to the optical splitter,
 the LiDAR chip receives a laser signal, outputs measurement light to the focal plane switch array transmitter by means of the optical splitter, and outputs local oscillation light to the receiver by means of the optical splitter,   the optical switch array introduces the measurement light into a corresponding grating coupler in the grating coupler array by means of a corresponding optical switch, and the measurement light is then emitted by means of the grating coupler,   a reflection echo received by the grating coupler is subjected to polarization splitting by means of the beam splitter and is then transmitted to the receiver,   the grating couplers are dual-polarization grating couplers.   
     
     
         2 . The LiDAR chip according to  claim 1 , wherein the LiDAR chip further comprises an echo coupler, the echo coupler is connected to the optical splitter, the optical switch array, and the beam splitter, the echo coupler transmits the measurement light transmitted from the optical splitter to the optical switch array, and transmits the reflection echo received by the optical switch array from the grating coupler to the beam splitter. 
     
     
         3 . The LiDAR chip according to  claim 2 , wherein the optical switches are dual-polarization optical switches. 
     
     
         4 . The LiDAR chip according to  claim 3 , wherein each of the dual-polarization optical switches comprises an input port, a first output port, and a second output port, the input port is connected to a first output port of a previous-stage dual-polarization optical switch or an echo coupler, the second output port is connected to a input port of a next-stage dual-polarization optical switch or a grating coupler, the dual-polarization optical switch receives the measurement light through the input port, and outputs the measurement light through one of the first output port and the second output port, the dual-polarization optical switch outputs the measurement light through the first output port when in a first state, and the dual-polarization optical switch outputs the measurement light through the second output port when in a second state. 
     
     
         5 . The LiDAR chip according to  claim 4 , wherein light split by the beam splitter is mixed with the local oscillator light and then transmitted to the receiver. 
     
     
         6 . The LiDAR chip according to  claim 4 , wherein the dual-polarization grating coupler is a polarization-insensitive grating coupler, and a single port of the polarization-insensitive grating coupler is connected to the dual-polarization optical switch, and the polarization-insensitive grating coupler outputs received light with TE and TM polarization states to the dual-polarization optical switch. 
     
     
         7 . The LiDAR chip according to  claim 4 , wherein the dual-polarization grating coupler is a polarization beam-splitting grating, the transmitter further comprises a polarization beam combiner, both ports of the polarization beam-splitter grating are connected to the polarization beam combiner, the polarization beam combiner is connected to the dual-polarization optical switch, the dual polarization grating coupler converts received light with TE and TM polarization states into TE polarized light and transmits the TE polarized light to the polarization beam combiner, and the polarization beam combiner performs polarization beam combining on the two TE polarized light beams and outputs the TE and TM polarized light to the dual-polarization optical switch. 
     
     
         8 . The LiDAR chip according to  claim 4 , wherein the dual-polarization optical switch is a phase-change material optical switch. 
     
     
         9 . The LiDAR chip according to  claim 8 , wherein the phase-change material optical switch is in the first state/second state when a phase-change material is in a crystalline state, the phase-change material optical switch is in the second state/first state when the phase-change material is in an amorphous state, and a switching control method of the crystalline state and the amorphous state of the phase-change material comprises external electrode heating, laser pulse stimulation, or electric pulse stimulation. 
     
     
         10 . The LiDAR chip according to  claim 1 , wherein the LiDAR chip is further provided with electrical contact points electrically connected to an external processor, wherein the electrical contact points are electrically connected to the receiver and the optical switches. 
     
     
         11 . A LiDAR, comprising a housing, a laser arranged in the housing, a processor, a collimating lens system, and the LiDAR chip according to  claim 1 , the laser provides a laser signal for the LiDAR chip, the processor is configured to control operations of the laser and the LiDAR chip, and the collimating lens system guides light emitted by the LiDAR chip. 
     
     
         12 . The LiDAR chip according to  claim 2 , wherein the LiDAR chip is further provided with electrical contact points electrically connected to an external processor, wherein the electrical contact points are electrically connected to the receiver and the optical switches. 
     
     
         13 . The LiDAR chip according to  claim 3 , wherein the LiDAR chip is further provided with electrical contact points electrically connected to an external processor, wherein the electrical contact points are electrically connected to the receiver and the optical switches. 
     
     
         14 . The LiDAR chip according to  claim 4 , wherein the LiDAR chip is further provided with electrical contact points electrically connected to an external processor, wherein the electrical contact points are electrically connected to the receiver and the optical switches. 
     
     
         15 . The LiDAR chip according to  claim 5 , wherein the LiDAR chip is further provided with electrical contact points electrically connected to an external processor, wherein the electrical contact points are electrically connected to the receiver and the optical switches. 
     
     
         16 . The LiDAR chip according to  claim 6 , wherein the LiDAR chip is further provided with electrical contact points electrically connected to an external processor, wherein the electrical contact points are electrically connected to the receiver and the optical switches. 
     
     
         17 . The LiDAR chip according to  claim 7 , wherein the LiDAR chip is further provided with electrical contact points electrically connected to an external processor, wherein the electrical contact points are electrically connected to the receiver and the optical switches. 
     
     
         18 . The LiDAR chip according to  claim 8 , wherein the LiDAR chip is further provided with electrical contact points electrically connected to an external processor, wherein the electrical contact points are electrically connected to the receiver and the optical switches. 
     
     
         19 . The LiDAR chip according to  claim 9 , wherein the LiDAR chip is further provided with electrical contact points electrically connected to an external processor, wherein the electrical contact points are electrically connected to the receiver and the optical switches.